From delays to cancellations to a bit of humor, the SBU Emergency Management Twitter has got it all. Its recent rise to fame, sparked by the popularity of the phrase “out of an abundance of caution” that Stony Brook students now directly equate to missing class, was hilarious and helpful for Stony Brook students. But who is behind the tweets?
It is not one but two people who run the @SBUEM account. Lawrence M. Zacarese, the assistant chief of Police and director of the Office of Emergency Management, splits the account with Stony Brook alumnus, Jason Casale. Both men are proud of what the Twitter account has become.
The Twitter page became so popular that is has over two and a half thousand follows and its own line of apparel. Both halves of the duo plan to be sporting an “out of an abundance of caution” sweater as soon as they are delivered.
Zacarese, who is a father of three, says his children “Get a kick out of [the Twitter popularity].”
Spencer Shorkey, the junior pharmacology major who designed the sweaters, said that he went on YikYak and “Someone had a good idea. ‘Somebody should make a t-shirt with Out of An Abundance of caution on it.’ It had like a hundred up-votes.” The sweaters, that are currently on sale feature the Twitter’s favorite hashtag as well as a snowflake.
This may mean even more “faithful followers,” as Zacarese calls them. He expects the student interaction with the account to weaken as the warmer weather moves in, but hopes that students who read this article will follow them.
Zacarese also notes that “my disclaimer is that the official means of communication is the voice, text and email and everything else. I give the preview to the followers because they are pretty faithful.”
When it comes to cancelling classes, Zacarese says that “there’s no ‘hey I’ll get you three thousand followers.’ Theres nothing. Student should know that great effort goes into following the storm,” and “classes have to be held. We are in the education business but we need to do it safely.”
Zacarese said that he hopes the Twitter’s popularity “tears down the perception that the police department may be standoffish.” He would like the students and campus to know that “we are not a traditional law enforcement organization.”
Jason Casale, the second half of the Twitter duo, says, “the popularity means a lot to us. It means we are doing a good job and getting the word out there.”
